The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-09-09

very ROOu pan VI COHltutTdbOn, DuU COulu
not get it considered. In l765 nine colonies
were represented In q conference at New
York Finally, on the 5th of September, 177A,
the:frst Continental congress met at Phila-
delphia, and thereafter the tendency toward
union was irresistible till the declaration Of
Independence, July 4, 177o.
1t Is not easy to define the powers of the
Continental congress, they were so augmented
by necessity and so supplemented by the
colonial legislatures and local committees Of
safety, which exercised almost despotic
powers The movement for better organ
lied government was already in progress.
Tom Paine Issued his brilliant pamphlet In
favor of a national government, and Alex
ander Hamilton warmly seconded Paines
argument in many letters and addresses
Paine was revolutionist, Hamilton an or
ganizer; Washington followed as the mod
orator. He first ventured TO use the word
"empire," meaning, as subsequent letters
show, an aempire Of republics" After TAX
ing command of the army he often urged the
members to consider 1that power and weight
which ought of right TO belong only to the
whole" Four years he continued to urge .
stronger central power, and In March, 1779,
wrote to George Mason, Of Virginia: II
lament the fatal policy Of the states employing
their ablest men at home. How useless to put
In fine order the smallest parts of clock unless
the great spring which is to set the whole In
motion Is well attended to. Let this voice
call forth you, Jefferson and others to save
their country" Yet 1t took the congress two
years to complete the articles Of confedera-
ton and nearly two more to get them sane
toned by all the states, only to find them IN
efficient within six months after their
adoption.
On the LIST Of March, 1881, the delegates
from Maryland subscribed the articles; on the
second it was taken for granted that the new
government was in force, and within the
month several members complained OF the
want Of sufficient powers. On the 18th,
James Madison introduced new clause, that
the states should give congress the power to
compel recalctrant state to perform Its
obligations On the I'd Of May 1t was re-
ferred to committee of one from each state;
on the Goth of July they reported substi-
tute, that congress might In time of war lay
an embargo for sixty days and name receivers
Of public money, after 1t had been collected
by state officers. On the same day Edmund
Randolph presented the resolutions Of the
Virginia legislature, that congress fought
IN have more power" In July and August
Hamilton issueda series of papers called "The
Continentalist," J" in which he vigorously urged
more complete union, a central executive
and q national revenue. But all i'll vain.
Soon after Cornwallis surrendered, the
British hastily concentrated In two or three
ports, ready for embarking; every one went
wild in expectation of an immediate close of
the war, and the 'more perfect union" was
ignored Philip Schuyler, Alexander Hamil-
ton and others had just before this persuaded
the great state of New York to agree that
duties should "be collected in such manner
and by such officers as congress should di-
rect" and Virginia had consented to similar
measure; but the other states were so
slow that the opposition had time to
rally, and both concessions were re-
voked or ignored. New York, however,
for the first, proposed a convention to form
q new constitution. Hamilton drafted the
resolutions, his fathei.in-law, Schuyler, urged
them vigorously, asd they passed both houses
Of the legislature by unanimous vote. There
after they were the platform, the store house
of texts and arguments for the "Strong Gov
ernment Whigsn Finally all the states bat
Rhode Island consented to national revenue
from customs duties; tho negative Of the one
state ruined the scheme, and thus the weary
seesaw went on four years longer, till the con-
federation was without cash at home or credit
abroad, and was fast sinking into contempt.
In Virginia the issue was debated almost in
eessantly for sig years, Washington and
Madison leading the nationalists, Richard
Henry Lee contending for separation and
state sovereignty, Patrick Henry advocating
only strengthening Of the existing confed-
Grafton.
Pressure from without had kept Americans
united during the war; renewal of that
pressure was needed to force more perfect
union, and it came exactly at the right time.
When the British parliament met after the
peace of Versailles the liberal element pro-
posed a renewal of close intercourse with
America and "free trade ON liberal princi-
pies" When asked what guarantees they
could secure, they were forced to reply that
they knew of no power to bind the separate
colonies; a reaction set in and ceased not till
Great Britain had adopted the most stringent
navigation laws and every practical method
Of Gripping the trade of Americans. When
this was known In the states, the number Of
those who could 'thnk continentally" In
creased suddenly and rapidly. Virginia es-
pecially advanced toward extreme national
views. jefferson said that his first choice
would be NJ navigation laws, no distinction